The WTA hopes to create a ‘Super Bowl for women’s sports’ by moving its season-ending finals to North Carolina in a three-year deal starting in 2027.
The end-of-year event will be held at the Spectrum Centre, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. Usually held around November, the event features the eight highest-ranked players and doubles teams over the past 12 months. The competition is usually in a round-robin format with the top two players in each group progressing to the knockout stages.
Non-profit organisation Charlotte Sports Foundation has partnered with the WTA to bring the event to North Carolina. The organisation organises high-profile sporting events to help boost the local economy. Last year, the foundation run the Charlotte Invitational, a tennis exhibition featuring Venus Williams, Madison Keys, Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz.
“We want to create the Super Bowl of women’s sports — and not just the competition, but an event that is the convening annual gathering for women’s tennis, women’s sports, and women’s sports business,” WTA Chair Valerie Camillo told reporters.
“Having that partnership [with the CSF and other local organizations] and a three-year runway gives us an incredible opportunity to build the finals year-on-year and make it increasingly valuable for our players, fans, partners, and the entire sport.”
Camillo confirmed their three-year deal with North Carolina could be extended.
This year’s WTA Finals will be held in Indian Wells after the governing body opted out of the final year of their three-year deal with Saudi Arabia, which hosted the past two editions. Previously, in 2018, the WTA struck a 10-year deal with China, but the event was relocated multiple times during that period due to numerous issues.
“Audiences are growing, investment is growing, female athletes are increasingly at the center of sports and culture around the world. And women’s tennis has helped lead and define that progress for more than 50 years. And we believe our biggest championship should reflect the scale of this moment,” Camillo commented.
There will also be changes to the WTA Finals from next year, with a ‘series of alternate formats’ being looked at. This is because the event will be taking place at an NBA stadium during the NBA season. Instead, it will run over five days rather than eight.
Wednesday’s announcement occurred just days after concerns about the WTA’s current financial situation. In an article published by The Telegraph, the governing body is reported to have operational losses of $21 million in 2026 and be left with just $15m in cash. This suggests they risk going into the red next year.
“We are doing the normal belt-tightening you would expect of any business, while also absorbing the unexpected cost of relocating the WTA Finals to Indian Wells,” said Camillo.
“What’s most important to know is that we have a clear path to deliver consistent, sustainable financial performance in 2027 and beyond, supported by strong revenue and audience growth.”
In another move, the WTA are also relocating their global headquarters from Florida to Charlotte. The WTA also plans to bring a WTA 500 event to the area starting in 2029.
No information has been given about prize money for future events.
